Adjustable wrench



United States Patent 3,286,561 ADJUSTABLE WRENCH Edward M. Norman, 112Main St., Mount Morris, N.Y. Filed Mar. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 538,310 8Claims. (Cl. 81-130) This invention is a continuation-in-part of mycopending application Serial No. 422,656 filed December 31, 1964 forWrench and relates to an adjustable hand wrench for use by mechanics andthe like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wrench which can,within the limits of its capacity, be adjusted to different sizes ofnuts, heads or other Workpieces.

Another object is to provide such an adjustable wrench in which the jawscan be separated to a wide degree as compared with conventionaladjustable wrenches.

Another object is to provide a wrench which can be so adjusted quicklyand easily.

Another object is to provide means preventing the accidental separationof parts of the wrench while not interfering with such separation forthe purpose of adjustment. 7

Another object is to provide such a wrench which is so designed as toresist tendencies to distort the wrench under heavy pressures.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a wrench which is ofsimple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive tomanufacture and eflicient in operation.

In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of awrench embodying my invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectiontaken generally on line 22, FIG. 1. FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlargedfragmentary longitudinal sections taken generally on the correspondinglynumbered lines, FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section taken generallyon line 5-5, FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the partsof the wrench other than the main body thereof, namely, the movable jawand its associated movable detent parts.

While the features of the invention can be adapted to different types ofwrench, it is shown as having a main body 10 in the form of a handle 11of conventional shape and an integral head 12 at one end of this bodyfrom which an integral fixed jaw 13 of the wrench protrudes, this jawhaving a fiat working face 14 facing the longitudinal center line of themain body 10. The head 12 is also provided with a fiat end face 15 onits side remote from the handle 11, this face being perpendicular to andmerging with the inner or base end of the working face 14 of the fixedjaw 13.

A deep slot or pocket 16 extends from this face 15 into the head 12toward the handle 11, one end face 18 of this pocket forming acontinuation of the working face 14 of the fixed jaw 13 and the oppositeend face 19 of this pocket being arranged on the opposite side of thehead 12. Each longitudinal side of this pocket 16 extendsperpendicularly to the working face 14 and is formed to provide a seriesof parallel ridges 20, 20a of uniform cross sectioned size and shapewhich extend from the end face 15 of the head 12 short of the bottom ofthe pocket 16. These ridges 20, 20a are of saw-tooth form in crosssection each having an abrupt face 22, 22a parallel with the workingface 14 of the fixed jaw 13, and an angular face 23, 23a connecting theouter edge of each ridge 20, 20a with the base of the abrupt face 22,22a of the next succeeding ridge. The distinction between the ridges 20and 20a on opposite sides of the pocket 16 is that the abrupt faces 22face toward the end face 18 which forms a continuation of the workingface 3,286,561 Patented Nov. 22, 1966 14 of the fixed jaw 13 of thewrench, whereas the abrupt faces 22a face in the opposite direction.

The movable jaw 25 of the wrench has a working face 26 parallel with andopposing the working face 14 of the fixed jaw 13 and also an extension28 adapted to fit into the deep pocket or recess 16. This extension 28is of less width than the jaw 25 so as to provide shoulders 29 atopposite sides which fit the end face 15 of the head 12 of the wrench.The extension 28 is provided with an inner end 30 which is of smallerextent, lengthwise of the line of adjustment of the movable head 25, toprovide one end face 31 which is offset from the working face 26 of theadjustable head 25 and an opposite parallel end face 32 which is offsettoward this face 31. The opposite sides of the extension 28, between itsend faces 31 and 32 are formed to provide ridges 33, 33a which mate withand slidingly fit into the recesses between the ridges 20, 20a in thehead of the wrench. Thus the ridges 33, 33a are provided with abruptfaces 34, 34a which mate, respectively, with the abrupt faces 22, 22aand the ridges 33, 33a are provided with angularly disposed faces 35,35a which mate, respectively, with the faces 23, 23a of the ridges 20,20a in the head of the wrench.

Detent means are provided for preventing the accidental displacement ofthe jaw 25 from the head 12 of the Wrench in any adjusted positionthereof, these detent means being shown as follows:

The numeral 40 represents a bore through the inner end 30 of theextension 28 of the wrench head 25 perpendicular to its working face 26,this bore receiving a pivot pin 41 the ends of which project from thefaces 31 and 32. The numeral 42 represents a swinging U-shaped detenthaving legs 43 arranged alongside the faces 31, 32 and journalled at theends on the pivot pin 41. The cross part 44 of this U-shaped detent hasone side 45 which is of obtuse angular form with reference to theadjacent side of the legs 43 so as to form a crotch 46 adapted to engagethe inner ends of one of the series of ridges 20 or 20a, these ridgesstopping short of the bottom of the deep recess or pocket 16, aspreviously described, for this purpose. This crotch 46 is biased intoengagement with these ridges 20 by a double ended wire spring 50. Thisspring has a central loop 51 which fits around the corresponding end ofthe pivot pin 41 and has one end 52 which projects into a bore 53provided in the movable jaw 25. The opposite end 54 is fitted in a notch55 in the face 56 of the cross part 44 of the U-shaped detent 42opposite from its angular face 45.

In use, the movable jaw 25 is removed from the body 10 of the wrench bysimply pulling it out parallel with the ridges 20, 20a and completelydetaching it from the wrench head 12, the angular face 45 of theU-shaped detent 42 riding over the inner corners of the ridges 20 so asto move the U-shaped detent 42 toward the center of the wrench head inpermitting such withdrawal. However, the pressure of the spring 50 issufficient to bias the U-shaped detent 42 into engagement with thecorners of these ridges 20 at the bottom of the pocket 16 withsufficient force to prevent accidental detachment of the movable jaw 25from the head 12.

The movable jaw 25 is then positioned at the required distance from theworking face 14 of the fixed jaw 13 and its ridges 33, 33a are lined upwith the recesses among the ridges 20, 20a of the wrench head 12 and themovable jaw pushed into these recesses by moving it parallel with thefixed working face 14 toward the handle 11. When the fixed head bottomsby engagement of its shoulders 29 with the head end face 15, the crotch46 of its U-shaped detent 42 comes into engagement with the inboardcorners of the corresponding ridges 20, and this crotch is biased and inengagement therewith by the spring 50 with sufiicient force to preventthe movable head 25 from accidentally sliding out of the deep pocket 16in swinging the wrench in normal usage or inverting it.

I claim:

1. An adjustable wrench comprising a body forming a handle, a head atone end of said body and a first jaw protruding from said head andhaving a working face adapted to engage one side of a workpiece, saidhead being provided in line with and starting adjacent the base of saidworking face, with a deep pocket having a series of straight parallelridges of uniform cross sectional size and shape arranged generallyparallel with said working face along at least one side of said pocketwhich extends perpendicularly to said working face, an adjustable jawhaving a working face, and an extension fixed to said adjustable jaw toproject generally parallel with its said working face into said pocket,said extension having a series of straight parallel ridges of uniformcross sectional size and shape and mating to slidingly fit among thesaid ridges of said pocket, said pocket being of greater extent, in adirection perpendicular to said working face of said first jaw, thansaid extension as that by slidingly engaging the ridges of saidextension into different ridges of said pocket said working face of saidadjustable jaw can be placed at different adjusted distances from saidworking face of said first jaw.

2. An adjustable wrench as set forth in claim 1 wherein said extensionis of smaller cross sectional size, parallel to said working face ofsaid first jaw, than said adjustable jaw, thereby to provide a shoulderon said adjustable jaw seating against an end face of said head to limitthe movement of said extension into said pocket.

3. An adjustable wrench as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ridges areof saw-tooth form in cross section each having one abrupt face generallyparallel with said working face of said first jaw and an angular faceextending from the outer edge of its abrupt face to the base of theabrupt face of the next succeeding ridge 4. An adjustable wrench as setforth in claim 3 wherein two such series of ridges are provided onopposite sides of said pocket and on opposite sides of said extensionand wherein the abrupt faces of the ridges on one side of said pocketface toward the working face of said first jaw and the abrupt faces ofthe ridges on the other side of said pocket face away from the workingface of said first jaw.

5. An adjustable wrench as set forth in claim 1 wherein two such seriesof ridges are provided on opposite sides of said pocket and on oppositesides of said extension.

6. An adjustable wrench as set forth in claim 1 additionally includingspring loaded detent means between said extension and head yieldinglyretaining said extension in said pocket.

7. An adjustable wrench as set forth in claim 6 wherein said ridges insaid side of said pocket terminate short of the bottom of the pocket andwherein said detent means include a member mounted on said extension inposition to engage the inner ends of said ridges in said side of saidpocket and spring means urging said detent member into engagementtherewith.

8. An adjustable wrench as set forth in claim 7 wherein said detentmember is U-shaped with its legs pivotally connected to the sides ofsaid extension facing toward and away from said working face of saidfirst jaw to swing about an axis generally perpendicular thereto andwith its cross part swinging across the end of said extension opposingthe bottom of said pocket, and wherein said spring means is interposedbetween said U-shaped detent member and said extension and urges ittoward said inner ends of said ridges in the side of said pocket.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,276,678 8/1918Moore 81134 1,383,672 7/1921 Stolakiss 8l147 X 464,004 8/1923 Kelley81130 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

M. S. MEHR, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN ADJUSTABLE WRENCH COMPRISING A BODY FORMING A HANDLE, A HEAD ATONE END OF SAID BODY AND A FIRST JAW PROTRUDING FROM SAID HEAD ANDHAVING A WORKING FACE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE ONE SIDE OF WORKPIECE, SAID HEADBEING PROVIDED IN LINE WITH AND STARTING ADJACENT THE BASE OF SAIDWORKING FACE, WITH A DEEP POCKET HAVING A SERIES OF STRAIGHT PARALLELRIDGES OF UNIFORM CROSS SECTIONAL SIZE AND SHAPE ARRANGED GENERALLYPARALLEL WITH SAID WORKING FACE ALONG AT LEAST ONE SIDE OF SAID POCKETWHICH EXTENDS PERPENDICULARLY TO SAID WORKING FACE, AND ADJUSTABLE JAWHAVING A WORKING FACE, AND AN EXTENSION FIXED TO SAID ADJUSTABLE JAW TOPROJECT GENERALLY PARALLEL WITH ITS SAID WORKING FACE INTO SAID PROCKET,SAID EXTENSION HAVING A SERIES OF STRAIGHT PARALLEL RIDGES OF UNIFORMCROSS SECTIONAL SIZE AND SHAPE AND MATING TO SLIDINGLY FIT AMONG THESAID RIDGES OF SAID POCKET, SAID POCKET BEING OF GREATER EXTENT, IN ADIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO SAID WORKING FACE OF SAID FIRST JAW, THANSAID EXTENSION AS THAT BY SLIDINGLY ENGAGING THE RIDGES OF SAIDEXTENSION INTO DIFFERENT RIDGES OF SAID PROCKET SAID WORKING FACE OFSAID ADJUSTABLE JAW CAN BE PLACED AT DIFFERENT ADJUSTED DISTANCES FROMSAID WORKING FACE OF SAID FIRST JAW.